The Edge Of Yesterday

Chapter 14

Bones returned to college in the middle of December.  It was second year of college. Starting from a few days before it actually started, we began seeing him less often. Sure, he would still hang out with us to do stupid shit, but he would mostly retreat into his room, studying. It felt weird without him. 

My work as a waitress and jewelry shop seller was mundane, as always. Except occasionally someone would recognize me and start gushing about how much they loved my band and ask me for an autograph. You know, that sort of thing.

One day, I was serving people drinks at the café, and then I noticed Bones sitting at a table, reading over something. He was extremely invested into whatever it was that he was reading. 

"Hi, Bones," I said, walking up to him. "What can I get you?"

"Hi, Avril," he looked up at me, somewhat startled. "I'm okay with anything. What do you recommend?"

"Strawberry lemonade." I responded without a second thought. It was one of my favorite drinks - it was refreshing and sweet, and tasted good. 

"Then strawberry lemonade it is." he responded. 

I went back to the bar where they made the drinks, and brought him a strawberry lemonade. I also handed him two straws - a stripy purple-and-white one and a green-and-pink one. He thanked me, and choose the purple straw without really looking at it. 

"What are you doing here anyways?" I asked him, as he took a sip from his drink. 

"Oh, I just needed somewhere where I could revise in peace. The public library is closed for some reason, and since Alex and Rosie are loud, you know how they are, I just decided to go here instead." he flipped over the page. "There's just a lot of information, and I don't want to forget anything." 

I sat down next to him, taking a look at all the diagrams in his textbook. Microscopic images of cells. Lots of cells.

"Cells are really interesting to look at with microscopes." Bones told me as he saw me looking at the photos.  "The lab at the university is really cool. I can bring you along to look at things with the microscopes, if you want."

I nodded. "That would be cool."

Bones smiled enthusiastically. "cool."

I smiled back, said I'd see him later, and went back to work, doing the same mundane tasks of serving people as usual, you know the drill.

2 days later, Bones went back to University.  We saw even less of him now that he was there, which was disappointing, but we managed. 

One weekend, on a Saturday, I was sitting on the couch at Bone's and Rosie's place, cutting out stuff from magazines with Rosie so that we could glue them onto sheets of paper and collage something new and interesting out of them. 

"Hey, Avril." Bones said, as he walked out of his room, pulling on his jacket with all the patches. "Are you up for going to the lab?" 

"When?" I asked, looking up from the magazine. 

"Now" 

I put down the scissors and the photos I had cut out. "Yeah. Yeah, I am." 

"Aww, are you and Bones going on a date?" Rosie mocked us. "Cute." 

"Yes, yes we are" I replied sarcastically. "We're going on a date and we're going to get married and have kids and be together forever." 

"Fuck you, Avril" she said lightly, pretending to punch my shoulder. 

"Fuck you too." I responded, before kissing her on the forehead. "I was just joking." 

"I knew that." she said. "I've been there with him before. It's interesting."